Arad tilted his head, looking at the bushes. He could still hear the fire crackling and Lydia shouting at Jack in the back. Mira and Aella's voices are clear as they chatted, yet they seemed distant. Sitting on a twig, a humanoid woman the size of a palm stared into his eyes. Her fly-luke pupil reflected the flames as a smile cross her face.
Arad blinked, and the small creature disappeared.
^Mom, what was that?^
[What are you talking about?]
^That tiny woman in the bushes, didn't you see it?^
[There was nothing. We share the vision and I didn't see anything strange.]
Arad looked at the flames. ^Could be a fairy? No, you would have seen it.^ Arad pinched his eyes, taking a deep breath.
[Dragons aren't prone to hallucinations. I have not seen it, but be careful.]
~Come and play~ A high-pitched voice rang in Arad's head. The moment he blinked, the little woman appeared again. This time she stood facing him. The stone is larger than her tiny body, and she waved her head from left to right, jiggling her legs as she hummed.
Arad blinked and the woman disappeared again. He stood and approached the stone. ^She was sitting here. Did you see it?^
[No. What did it look like?]
^A white fuzzy body, eyes like that of a bug, and large butterfly wings. She looked humanoid but I couldn't make her arms from her torso.^
[I don't know what are you talking about. Elves are more knowledgeable about those things, ask Aella.]
Arad stood and walked to the girls' tent, "Aella, do you have a moment?" He called from the outside.
Aella walked out, "Did you need anything?"
"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about something," Arad explained what he saw, trying to be as precise with the description as he could.
Aella scratched her head, "That doesn't sound like a fairy, pixie, or a sprite. It's either a hallucination or someone is using magic."
"Mom said we dragons are resistant to hallucinations, and I could see magic if someone tried using it on me." Arad scratched his head, "Don't you have any idea?"
Aella shook her head, "I can't say anything with my knowledge. Sorry,"
After the conversation, Arad went back to his tent and tried to get some sleep. Rest was what he needed. The moment he closed his eyes, he could feel two tiny legs on his chest.
Arad slowly opened his eyes. She stood there on his chest, smiling. ~Let's play~ She opened her arms, sending tiny orbs of light. It illuminated Arad's tent-like stars.
^Mom, do you see her? She's on my chest, and the whole tent is lit with stars.^
[To me, nothing changed. It's still dark.]
Arad extended his hand, trying to catch the little woman. It passed right through her body. ~Want to play? Little child~
Arad blinked, and the woman disappeared. ^Only I can see it. Illusion or hallucination.^
Arad closed his eyes, sleeping.
When the morning came, he woke up feeling great. Better than normal. "I never felt this well rested. He stretched his arms, the blood in his veins flowing."
[You are right. I can feel that you're better than yesterday.]
Arad took a deep breath, instantly recognizing most scents of the forest. "Water to the west, I can thin branches crackle to the east and squirrels are running to the west."
[Your senses are sharper. Was it exhaustion yesterday?]
^I don't know. But if it's that little fairy's help that I feel better, I can't complain.^
Mira walked out of her tent and washed her face, "Arad. Can you light the flames while I wake Aella?"
Arad walked out and brought some branches throwing them in the ash. [Bonfire]
He looked at the stone, remembering the fairy. ^I have to ask Merlin when we get back.^
After breakfast, the party kept searching with Mira's help but they found no clue. The afternoon came, and Mira sat on the ground.
"Nothing, I give up for today. My knees hurt." She kept squatting over roots and plants all day, and her thighs finally gave up.
"I will climb on a tree and see what can I find." Jack cracked his neck. No, he finally feels better.
"Are you sure?" Lydia stared at him and then smacked his back with her palm. He took it well, so she smiled. "You seem fine."
"I will go up as well." Aella jumped on a tree. Scouting from a high spot might help. Arad and Lydia remained with Mira.
Arad sat beneath a tree, closing his eyes as they waited for Aella and Jack. Ba-dump. A faint beat, he could hear it coming from the tree. His eyes jolted open, "What was that?"
Both Lydia and Mira jumped, "You scared us!" Lydia glared at him.
Arad quickly put his ear on the tree, listening carefully. Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
"It's faint, but I can hear it. A heartbeat, deep underground." Arad said, closing his eyes. A strange smell entered his nose, "It isn't this tree alone." He stood, inspecting all the trees around.
~They are asleep, don't wake them~ The little woman's voice rang in Arad's head again.
"Who are you?" This time, Arad growled.
~Aren't you one energetic baby?~ The voice said in a cheerful tone, giggling. ~What do you see? Wyrms child.~
"Elder tree, do you know where it is?" Arad growled. Lydia and Mira stared at him, confused.
~I do not know what you ask for, but let's play hide and seek. Find me if you can.~ And her voice trailed into Arad's mind, only leaving her faint giggles.
"Arad, you didn't drink in the morning, did you?" Lydia put her hands on his back. [Clensing]
"Wait! You aren't drunk?" Lydia gasped.
"Some of those trees are alive. They are all linked to a single heart deep beneath the ground." Arad looked around and rushed to listen to all the trees as Jack and Aella climbed down.
"There are more of them in that direction." Arad pointed deeper into the forest.